Clinical data related to cell density and morphology of normal corneal endothelium among the Japanese have been reported for individuals aged ≥40 years, but normal values in younger people have not been quantified. The authors performed a retrospective observational study including 16,842 eyes of 8,421 subjects (19.6±8.7 years) without ophthalmic diseases other than refractive error to examine the normal value of corneal endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation in cell area (CV), hexagonal cell appearance rate (6A), and cell area. The mean corneal endothelial cell densities in the age groups 1-10,11-20,21-30,31-40,41-50,51-60, and 61-70 years were 3,314.5±334.5,3, 160.3±284.5,3, 027.6±287.0,2, 874.2±283.8,2, 814.4±298.4,2, 734.5±273.5, and 2,740.0±289.5 cells/mm2, respectively, which decreased significantly with age. The rate of decrease in corneal endothelial cell density was 0.42% per year, consistent with previous reports from other countries. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age and sex were significantly correlated with corneal endothelial cell density, CV, 6A, and cell area. The annual decrease in corneal endothelial cell density was significantly higher in patients aged <21 years than in patients aged ≥21 years, indicating that it is essential to regularly monitor corneal endothelium in young patients.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 127: 1015-1021, 2023.
